Stargate Atlantis: The Named Version 2
by AngelofWraith
Summary: This is an updated version of the first one. Sorry about any inconvenience. Please let me know if this one is better.
1. Chapter 1

5

"This is a bad idea," the Wraith commander murmured, arms crossed. Golden eyes flickered to the hallway on his right. "We should have sent them back the instant they came through the Stargate."

Kelsha shook her head, long hair the color of the sunset swishing over the black leather of her dress. _"No. Someone must have told them where to find us and we both know that none of our contacts would do so unless they thought sending Sheppard and his team was important."_ Her voice held an echo to it that seemed more like a Wraith's voice than a human's. Blue eyes glinted with inner steel as she looked up at the commander who towered over her by at least a foot.

The Wraith bared his teeth in a quiet snarl. "After the last time we were sent a contact, you'll understand if I'm not too eager to expose you to danger again."

The skin on Kelsha's right arm seemed to burn all over again. She _did_ understand, but a suicide drone wasn't going to keep her from hearing the team from Atlantis out. _"I appreciate your concern…Commander…and believe me, I share the sentiment."_ She flexed her gloved right hand meaningfully.

Catching the movement, the Commander was quiet for a moment more before nodding curtly as footsteps echoed up the hall. "Very well, but I'm still not happy about this." Straightening his arms, he moved to stand protectively at her right side.

Cautiously coming around the corner, the Atlantis team raised their weapons unanimously when they saw them. Sheppard, at point, frowned in confusion. "_You're_ Kelsha?"

_"I am."_ Kelsha gestured at the Wraith next to her. _"This is my Commander."_

"But you're human!" McKay exclaimed before Sheppard could glare him into silence. "They didn't say anything…"

"We were expecting someone more…"

_"Wraith?"_ Kelsha's brows came together in a frown. _"I'm sure whoever gave your our location informed you about our work?"_

"You make the Wraith turn on each other?" Ronan grunted, suspicion and slight admiration warring in his tone.

Kelsha nodded. _"Precisely. It's a line of work that relies on unpredictability. Nothing should be as expected. If it is, we're dead."_

The Commander lifted his head a little. "Now explain why one of our contacts was forced to abandon cover for you," he growled, never taking his eyes off Ronan.

The four shifted in uncomfortable silence for a while before Sheppard slowly lowered the muzzle of his gun off-center and straightened. "Couple of weeks ago two teams of my people went missing from villages on planets off the Wraith's radar. When we went to find out where they went, we found two Wraith outposts."

"My people have heard rumors about what you have done," Teyla cut in. "When word reached one of our allies, he led us to your…contact and we explained the situation just like we are explaining it to you."

Kelsha looked up at the Commander and locked eyes with him. Wraith outposts on planets the Wraith themselves had no interest in She raised an eyebrow in a silent question. Could they risk sending a scout to see if what the team was saying was true?

Reading the minute inflections on the Commander's face was as easy as if he'd spoken aloud. If eight of their people were missing, finding them could be a step in becoming allies. Also if the two phantom outposts were just the beginning, they needed to get a hint of what happened there so they could be forewarned themselves.

_"Very well,"_ Kelsha sighed and returned her focus to the team. _"You've caught our interest. We will be sending a scout to validate your claim and when he returns, then we'll discuss this further."_

Looking like he believed none of it, Sheppard smiled demurely nonetheless. "Great. So, if you don't mind, we'll be leaving now."

_"No you won't."_

Stopping abruptly, four pairs of eyes turned her way. "Why not?"

_"Because you know this planet's address, we can't allow you to leave until we've moved to another one."_ Kelsha held her hands out in a peaceable gesture. _"All of our potential clients are aware of this before they step through the Stargate. Didn't your contact tell you of this?"_

"I guess he kinda forgot that little footnote," Sheppard growled and he eyed the two of them speculatively.

"If you are thinking about making a run for it, I wouldn't suggest that you try," the Commander added with false-politeness. "The moment you render either of us unconscious, fully-automated force fields will activate and you will be immobilized until you could be moved to a more...secure...location."

"Oh yeah?" Ronan raised his weapon and aimed it at the Commander's head. "I think you're bluffing."

The Commander snarled and stepped forward, but Kelsha held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. _"You don't have a choice, Ronon Dex," _she began softly, but with steel in her voice. _"Either agree to be held in a secure room or I'll be forced to separate all of you into your own private cells."_ When Sheppard didn't say anything, she frowned even further. _"The only reason you haven't been separated as of yet is due to the fact that we desire to—how would you say it—'stay on the Atlantean's good side.' However, if you do anything to threaten us, we will gladly take the risk."_

"Well, we don't respond nicely to threats either," Sheppard tossed back, but he motioned for Ronan to lower his gun, "but you haven't killed us yet."

_"Precisely."_ Kelsha reached to a small glowing jewel on her glove and pressed it. _"If you'll follow me, I will take you to the holding room. A security detail will be joining us shortly and they will take you the rest of the way."_ Turning around, she strode down a dark corridor without making sure that they followed. Soon enough, the thud of military boots soon joined her brisk ones. Teyla managed to draw next to her, a questions etched in her very posture. _"If you have a question for me, ask, but you might not get an answer."_

Jerking in surprise, Teyla nibbled her bottom lip briefly. "What did they promise you to ensure your…cooperation?" This was asked in a murmur with a backward glance towards where the Commander had taken the rear position.

_"Nothing,"_ Kelsha replied firmly. _"As difficult as it is for you to believe, Teyla Emmagan, the Commander and I—and indeed, all the other Wraith and humans involved—have a mutual understanding."_ She tossed her hair over her shoulder, reluctant to speak more. The security detail would be there any minute.

"A 'mutual understanding?'" Teyla repeated dubiously. "Are you saying…"

Kelsha jerked her head in a no. _"Part of the agreement is that none of the human contacts are fed on. Any breech of that will result in the death of the Wraith in question."_

Teyla was silent for a moment. "How did you come to receive the Wraith's…respect?"

With the brisk and reassuring sound of boots, the security detail, two humans and two Wraith, met them at an intersection. "You requested us, Kelsha?" One of the humans inquired curtly.

_"Please escort Colonel Sheppard and his team to the holding room and make sure that they are not to receive visitors unless it is me or one of the Commanders."_ Kelsha turned to face the team, head held high. _"Please don't be difficult. If you cause problems, I will have no problems in ordering them to use whatever force necessary to make sure you cooperate."_

Sheppard made a face. "Like we have any choice?"

_"There's always a choice, Colonel. It depends on if it's the right one."_ Kelsha's lips quirked in a tiny, dry smile and she strode down the hallway to her right before she could give anything away, the Commander a step behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

Jamie sighed as soon as they were three hallways down. "I know, I know, Kelsha has a flair for the dramatic heroine." She muttered before Taurus could say anything.

A deep chuckle emerged from Taurus' chest and he rested his hand on her shoulder. "As a matter of fact, I was expecting something even more poignant than that."

"Don't give her any ideas." Jamie stopped and fixed Taurus with a deadly-serious stare. "Do you really think this is worth sending one of our people? If they're lying and this is just a trap to get rid of us, why even bother?"

"There's a sizable risk, yes," Taurus conceded, glancing out a small window high up in the wall. "However, if this is true, then not only are our outposts in danger of being wiped out or discovered, but we'd risk turning our backs on a new threat to the galaxy if we don't send someone. We made a promise when we started this operation to not let any new Wraith activity go unchecked, Jamie, and like it or not, we have to follow every plausible lead we receive, weather or not it ends up in a trap."

Jamie knew that Taurus was telling the truth, though a part of her didn't want to admit it. "The only one that's available for this is Draco," she whispered, dread seeping from her bones.

An equally disturbed look crossed Taurus' face and he shifted uncomfortably. "I know. We have no other choice, though."

"But he just managed to pull of a simulated mission without getting overeager."

"I know!" Taurus barked, a rare display of anger transforming him into the feared persona he used to be. He realized his tone and he controlled himself with a visible effort, hand squeezing her shoulder. "I know, Jamie. We're going to have to trust that he'll keep his head on this one until one of the others returns from their missions."

Having seen the schedule herself, Jamie knew that wouldn't be for another day or two. Drawing herself up, she nodded. "Okay. Do you want to tell him, or should I?"

Taurus shook his head. "I will. I know you're close to finishing the translation on that tablet we recovered from the last outpost raid; go finish that. I'll send one of the others to keep you company in case...in case something else happens."

Making a face, Jamie knew there was no way out of getting a bodyguard for the duration of Sheppard's team's stay. "If you have to." She placed a palm on Taurus' chest and looked deep into his eyes, telling him things she would never dare say aloud.

Taurus' face softened and his hand grasped hers gently. "I do," he murmured and briskly strode away.

With a smile on her face, Jamie went the opposite way, trying to control the butterflies in her stomach before anyone saw her and asked about it. Three years ago, she hadn't thought she and Taurus would end up as close as they were; he hated her so much that he wouldn't even talk to her. Every day since, then, however, despite all the opposition and disapproval of the others, they'd been drawn ever more closely to each other until not a day went by without at least a short conversation or two. Conversations weren't all that happened, of course, but they were both still embarrassed about their relationship that they kept those moments between the two of them. There were four others they trusted implicitly with everything else, but they didn't think they would understand...in fact, they would most likely never speak to them again. Jamie used to believe in getting the truth out from the start; there was less chance of people hating you that way. With something as volatile and...forbidden as her and Taurus, though...she was willing to bend the rules.

She reached her study lab before she realized it. The golden walls were contrasted by the scattered Wraith technology around the room. Several tablets were piled on the large table with one placed prominently in front of a chair. With a sigh, Jamie sat down and scrolled through the Wraith characters to find where she left off. It was a journal from a Wraith Queen, of all things, and she grinned remembering how excited they'd all been when they'd found it. Not only did it offer clues to the Hive's movements, but it also gave them insight into how Queen thought...and Jamie had only finished two tablets out of seven so far. The one she was working on right now was written so fast an in such an obscure dialect of Wraith that she was having a bear of a time translating even the simplest of words. Normally, she would prefer working with one of the Wraith, but they still had an ingrained taboo against reading the Queen's writings that no amount of influence could change. Once she translated it out of Wraith into Ancient, though, they had no qualms about it.

_Probably because _I'm _the one who wrote that,_ she thought in amusement and got to work. The last passage, the one she was working on, started with the Queen ranting about how a Commander had crossed her regarding a denial to perform studies on the humans of a particular planet. It was the most anger-filled entry yet and Jamie was beginning to feel sick with the Queen's ever more descriptions of what she'd do to the Commander if he ever crossed her again. _Sheesh, no wonder everyone's scared of a Queen. Take away her mental powers and her feeding hand and she'd still be someone I'd be afraid to cross based on temper alone._

She didn't know how long she stared at the tablet, crossing and re-crossing out her translations, when the door slid open and someone cleared his throat, startling her into looking up. "Leo, how long have you been standing outside the door?" She quipped with a smile.

He smirked and shrugged uncomfortably. "You looked like you were concentrating hard enough that I was worried that I would break your concentration," he admitted and took a seat on the other side of the table. Despite his calm tone, Leo's body language screamed of suppressed anger.

_Great, Taurus probably sent him to me so I can let him rant away from everyone else._ Chewing her cheek, Jamie straightened and set down her pen. "What's wrong, Leo?" She asked quietly and rested her arms on the table.

Face contorting, Leo slammed his fists down on the table. "Draco is _not_ ready for a solo mission!" He snapped from between clenched teeth. "He's too young, he's hotheaded, he lets his curiosity distract him, he..." With a roar, he swung out and knocked a whole stack of old datapads off the table and into the other wall. An extra one remained and he viciously grabbed it, hurling it at the empty patch of wall with such force that it shattered into dozens of sparking pieces. He stalked over and systematically began kicking the remaining pieces.

Jamie bit her lip and let him, understanding his fear all to well. Leo and Draco were literally brothers and, like all siblings, Leo was very protective of Draco, since the later was younger and, hence, impulsive. They were hardly ever seen apart and it had taken a spectacular feat of persuasion to convince Leo to let Draco receive the basic training for solo missions. She was sure that Leo hadn't thought that Draco would be sent on one so soon. Still, Leo was tied up with helping orient the latest batch of new arrivals and couldn't be assigned something else until they were all confident that they could be trusted to walk alone. Her own heart was aching for them both, but she knew that there was no other choice.

Eventually, Leo calmed down and slumped on the chair, head in his hands. He didn't say anything and Jamie didn't expect him to. She returned to her translating with a more subdued frame of mind.


	3. Chapter 3

It didn't take long for Sheppard to insist on speaking to her. Kelsha rubbed the back of her neck as she descended the lift. This was going to be tricky; answering their questions without revealing anything. The team had a reputation for being observant and there was already the risk of McKay recognizing her voice. It all added up to very stiff neck muscles and a tension headache budding behind her eyes. _Thank goodness I convinced them to let me ride down alone. I don't think they'd like seeing me like this._ By the time the lift doors opened, Kelsha was once again composed.

The Wraith in charge of security was waiting for her. "No, we haven't heard back from the scout yet," he said before Kelsha could even ask if there was an update. "It doesn't mean that there is any trouble, though. There are two planets to search after all." He fell in beside her, hands clasped behind his back.

_"True, though I was hoping for some information to satisfy Sheppard until he gets back."_ Kelsha replied, clenching her right hand and nodding to the Wraith and humans she knew. _"Has Ronan given you trouble yet?"_

"Only when I insisted on _all_ of his knives, not just the visible ones." The Wraith grunted, dislike tensing around his false calm. He was so dedicated to the security of both the base and Kelsha that, if anything went wrong, he took it as a personal insult. "I'm still unsure if he surrendered them all."

That brought a smirk to Kelsha's face, though she smothered it quickly. _"Even if there's one, I doubt it would do much harm. They need us even though they don't want to admit it, so even someone as strong-willed as Ronan Dex wouldn't dare attack anyone here."_ The door to the team's room loomed ahead of them, guarded by a fresh security team of four. That was good; the Wraith's new training was working so far.

The Wraith snorted dubiously. "I wouldn't put it past him, though."

When the door slid open, the team, on the far side of the room, stood up quickly, the presence of a Wraith in their midst triggering ingrained responses. Kelsha strode forward until she was halfway across. _"You wished to speak to me?"_

Eyes narrowed, Sheppard crossed his arms. "Yeah. We were wondering if we could use your Stargate for a few minutes."

Kelsha raised her head and met Sheppard's foul stare with an equally foul one of her own. _"I'm sorry, but you're not to leave this room until this operation is finished and we leave. I told you this before."_ She really didn't like the way McKay was frowning at her and it made her itching to be out of there.

"If our people become concerned for us, they will send another team to search for us," Teyla interjected with a more reasonable tone. "We merely wish to inform them of our condition and update them on what is happening."

"If more of your people are sent through," the Wraith hissed warningly, "they will be detained such as you are until we release you. Better that they think you are dead than risk being exposed to the rest of the galaxy."

"So we're prisoners. What a surprise." The intense look of animosity and mistrust on Ronan's face spoke of danger.

As if sensing the danger, the Wraith took a step forward and put himself between Kelsha and Ronan's line of fire if the later decided to use any hidden knives. "You present a sizable security risk, as I informed you earlier. Even other Commanders had to undergo the same procedures as you have."

Kelsha held up a hand to stop the debate from going out of hand. _"You must understand, Colonel Sheppard, that if our location were to be revealed to the Wraith even by an accidental slip, all of our efforts to spare the humans in this quadrant would be for nothing. If we vacate this planet for another one of our bases, however, they won't find us. On the other hand,"_ she added, catching everyone's attention. _"I don't wish to take more of your people or risk any ill feelings between us. We have an extensive network of satellites that is more than capable of reaching Atlantis. I will let one of you use it to reassure your people that you're alive and well."_ She knew surely as she lived and breathed that all of her Commanders were going to be furious with her, but there was no way around it. She wasn't particularly fond of having the _Deadalus_ or _Apollo_ drop by and find them in a planet-wide scan.

"Very nice of you," Sheppard said with heavy sarcasm and turned to his team. "Okay, you guys just hang loose here while I contact Colonel Carter and absolutely _no_ escape attempts, okay, Ronan?"

Ronan looked mutinous for a moment. "Fine," he finally grunted, his face and posture not changing.

Nodding, Kelsha whirled around and led the way out of the room, turning right once she got to the hallway. She forced herself to relax now that she was out of McKay's unnerving scrutiny. There was no doubt about it that he was on the verge of recognizing her voice and that meant she had to make her visits as few as possible from now until the scout returned. Feeling Sheppard's eyes on her back didn't make her feel better, but she was comforted by the fact that the Wraith was right behind him. _"You should know, Colonel, that you are not to describe who I am to anyone on Atlantis. If I feel that you're revealing too much, I will order the communication to be cut, is that understood?"_

"A little paranoid, aren't you?" Sheppard muttered as a response, but Kelsha could feel his eyes raking in everything around him.

Kelsha thought it best not to answer and rounded a corner into the communications room. Those working in there eyed Sheppard warily, but after a raised eyebrow from Kelsha, they returned to work without a word. It took very little time to send a transmission to Atlantis, though it took even longer for the people of Atlantis to acknowledge that it really was Sheppard calling, even with his authentication code and all. She stood back a little ways so she wouldn't hear most of their conversation, but mostly so she wouldn't have to hear Colonel Carter's voice. Unbidden memories fought to come to the surface, but she crushed them down before they grew to a distraction. Now was not the time to let old, painful images of the past cloud the clear-headedness she needed to deal with them.

After five minutes, though, Kelsha decided that they had been talking enough and gestured at the communications officer and the image of Colonel Carter's face disappeared. _"Will they be satisfied now, Colonel?"_ She asked tightly.

"Well, cutting me off was a little rude, but you don't have to worry about the whole gang coming to bang on your front door." Something glinted in Sheppard's eye that was expertly hidden. What had Carter told him? How much did he give away?

_"Good. You'll be escorted back to your team and do not expect me to answer your every summons until the scout returns."_ As soon as Sheppard was gone, she turned to the security-class Wraith. _"I am sorry for not consulting you first, but I had complete confidence in your security systems."_

"That is beside the point!" The Wraith growled. "With the advanced systems Atlantis possesses, they could easily trace back the signal despite the relays! It was an unnecessary risk."

_"It was one we had to take to ensure that their ships weren't diverted to this planet!"_ Kelsha insisted, irritation and the smarting knowledge that he was right making her voice waspish. _"Of the many risks I've had to take over the years, this was one we could easily deal with. Even so, I..I apologize."_ She relented, not able to bear an argument on top of everything else that was happening.

The Wraith hesitated as if waiting for the catch, but when one didn't come, he raised his head in acquiescence. "Very well. After the suicide drone seven months ago, I'm not eager to have a breach of security again."

Kelsha's mouth twisted into a wry smile. _"I understand. From now on, I'll make sure to consult you first when offering our guests contact with anyone off-planet."_ After making sure that they had a silent agreement, she turned and headed back towards the lift, feeling his eyes on her until she was out of sight.


	4. Chapter 4

Gritting her teeth, Jamie decided that a visit with Ursus would help her get her mind off things. It was around late afternoon, so he would be overseeing the newcomers adapt to the new limits of their bodies in unarmed combat. _To the gym it is, then._ Taking the long way around by avoiding any lifts was risking running into someone on the way, but she couldn't stand the thought of being closed in one at the moment.

She could hear the clack of wooden staffs and the thuds and grunts of hand-to-hand combat before she even entered the gym. Only four were training, she saw, the rest most likely gone out to either the village or their assignments. (They were stretched so thin nowadays that the main ship often seemed deserted except for Jamie, Taurus, and the other four.) Both newcomers were pared off with experienced fighters from the village. From the looks of things, they were getting frustrated about getting beaten more often than they used to.

Leaning against the right-hand wall, Ursus surveyed them with crossed arms and narrowed eyes. Older than Taurus, Orion, Leo, _and_ Draco, Ursus had thick ropy hair and a bluff, but honest, attitude. He often reminded Jamie about someone she knew back home and, at times like this, even Ronan Dex. Straightening abruptly, Ursus strode over to one of the newcomers. "No, no. You're attacking like you think you can recover from that blow without a scratch. The time you loose compensating for it will give anyone more time to kill you." He brusquely showed him the correct way before stepping back. "Again."

Stifling a snort, Jamie crossed the gym away from the dueling partners with a smile on her face. "Are they making any headway in reaching your impossibly high expectations, Ursus?" She inquired mildly, but with a twinkle in her eyes as she looked up at him.

Ursus didn't look surprised at her appearance and he never took his eyes off of his charges. "They're getting there," he replied with a grunt so like Ronan that Jamie had to bite her lip to keep from grinning like an idiot.

_"Well, that's a far cry from 'This is a waste of time' yesterday."_ Jamie switched to another language, especially since Ursus' frustrated-but-proud words would make the newcomers angrier than they needed to be.

Having been taught that language along with the others, Ursus had no problems understanding her and he snorted, a frown flickering on his face brought on by a wrong move. "I've seen worse." He gestured at the left-hand charge he'd corrected with his head. "That one behaves just like a certain impulsive, unthinking scout on assignment." There was a bite to his words covered by his gruffness. However younger Draco was to Ursus, the younger managed to endear himself to the elder during Ursus' own transition.

Jamie's mouth pulled upward into a half-smile. "Don't let Draco hear you say that," she murmured, "then none of us will get any peace from the mischief those two could cook up. What about the other one?" She added, noticing how he watched the second newcomer more keenly than the first.

"I don't know. There's something…off about him. I can't place it and anything I can't place makes me suspicious." Ursus' voice, normally deeper and harsher than the others, took on a new growl.

"Has he been trying to escape or show signs of that random resistance like…Katon?"

Ursus bared his teeth at the mention of the newcomer who'd nearly gotten them all killed and, in the end, had to be killed because of it, but he shook his head. "No. He is progressing just as well as the other one and _that's_ what bothers me." He pressed his lips together and Jamie knew she wasn't going to get anything more out of him on that subject.

"I'll let Orion know," she promised quietly, absently rubbing her right hand. It had been badly burned in that same incident and was a constant reminder that spies could easily slip into their ranks. "Do they have names yet?"

A snort was Ursus' only answer—presumably a no—as he went back over to correct them again. Even though he didn't show his suspicions in front of the newcomers, Jamie could see it in the way his arms and legs moved; more curtly and sharply than usual.

_Well, _Jamie thought with a mental frustrated sigh. _This isn't as relaxing as I thought it would be._ Eyeing the two newcomers, a thought crept into her mind. She had to work off some tension before she was found and lectured by Taurus _and_ Leo and there was an opportunity right in front of her.

As if he sensed the pattern of her thoughts, Ursus looked her way and scowled, apparently reading her idea on her face. Jamie didn't approach, though, and let him think it over. They were his charges and he usually hated anyone interfering with his processes. Eventually, though, he nodded. Jamie held up a hand, though, before he could inform the others, and raised her eyebrow. The newcomers had their backs to her and the training partners were the only ones besides Ursus who could see her. A perfect opening if ever there was one. A rare twitch of a smile crossed Ursus' face and he returned to instructing.

Jamie approached them as quietly as if she was stalking a Wraith, but with a confidence borne of practice. The one Ursus said reminded him of Draco began a leaping and turning kick, which instantly gave Jamie an idea. Speeding up, she gathered herself and sprang just as the newcomer raised his leg to kick and she used her downward momentum to slam the heel of her palm into the middle of his shoulder blades. This brought out a cry of surprise and anger from the newcomer and he automatically lashed out backwards with the same leg. Jamie let it come to within an inch of her face before side-stepping out of the way, which brought her around to slam her palm into the second newcomer's chest.

What followed was a rapid, dangerous two-versus-one fight in which Jamie pulled out every trick she'd learned back home and then some. Her body easily flowed into the patterns her teachers and Ursus had drilled into her and she was pretty much the equal of the newcomers. She didn't avoid everything, of course, and she knew she'd have some pretty interesting bruises on her arms and chest the next day.

After a time, Ursus barked, "Enough."

Jamie leaped backwards and stopped right away, body pleasantly worked out and not quite breathing hard. "Sorry about that," she grinned and mock-bowed. "Couldn't resist." She took a look in their eyes and was a bit unnerved by the obvious respect coming from them.

Ursus gripped her shoulder and quickly pulled her out of hearing distance. Concern ruined his usually stoic face. "Taurus just contacted me," he began, but he stopped, for once having a hard time continuing.

Knowing that only the gravest news would affect the Ronan Dex-like behavior of her friend, Jamie's good mood vanished and the smile was wiped off her face. "What is it, Ursus? What's wrong?"

"It's Draco," Ursus murmured, a dark shadow crossing his eyes. "He has returned…"

"And?"

"There was an ambush on the second planet and he was injured escaping. He still insists on speaking to you, though."

Jamie felt the blood leave her face and she nodded gratefully before rushing out of the gym, praying that the mission hadn't inadvertently killed the youngest (and dearest) of their family.


	5. Chapter 5

The air around the infirmary was tense but not as if Draco was critically injured, which calmed Jamie's nerves somewhat. The door slid open and a tense-but-relieved Leo came out. "How bad is he?"

Leo shook his head. "He's _very_ lucky to be alive. He has several deep cuts and internal bruising that should have killed him." His lips twitched. "Trust Draco to be the one to avoid a grenade. He asked to speak with you against my judgment. We'll be listening on the communicators if he tells you what he found."

"Thanks." Jamie waited until Leo had turned the corner before controlling her face and entering.

The infirmary was a mixture of science-lab and the actual infirmary. This one was only used for the Wraith that she trusted, so the golden walls seemed out of place with Leo's Wraith equipment. Half a dozen beds made up most of it—because the Wraith rarely became ill enough to require an infirmary, they didn't need as many beds. Halfway sitting up on one was a Wraith who even _looked_ young, possibly younger than Jamie herself if one judged by appearances.

"I thought Ursus told you to stay _away_ from exploding things," Jamie greeted with crossed arms, trying, and failing, to look serious.

Draco's face turned sheepish and he ran a hand through his hair. "He did, but apparently he failed to order the Wraith to not throw them at me." He looked different with his shirt off (and if he was anything like Taurus, Jamie would be drooling) but his injuries were easy to see. Discolored bruises ran across his chest, left arm, and even up to the left side of his face. His arm was covered in cuts most likely from debris and there were two deep ones on his face and chest.

Jamie sighed and stood next to the bed. "You've looked worse, at least." Silence descended between them for a time. "Draco, what happened?"

The sheepishness vanished and Draco's face grew tight. "The Colonel was correct about his missing soldiers, but the populations of the nearby villages were also missing. They didn't leave through the Stargate; I would have seen the signs of a mass exodus and there were none. It was like they vanished."

Jamie felt the blood leave her face. It sounded eerily like what happened to Teyla's people, but she left that thought in the back of her mind. "What about the outpost?"

Such a dark look crossed Draco's face that he didn't look like himself. "I didn't recognize the hive symbol, but perhaps Ursus or Taurus will," he described the unique set of tattoos present in the database. "From what I can tell, the outpost was only large enough to hold enough Wraith to man a cruiser, no more. A majority of the entries that I managed to find were by scientists and though they encrypted their work, I managed to read enough to know that they were…" Draco froze and closed his eyes, visibly trying to pull himself together. "They were creating their own version of Doctor Keller's gene therapy, only it wasn't to turn Wraith into humans."

A curse trickled out of Jamie's mouth as she grasped what Draco meant. "Are you sure?" She couldn't help asking.

"Positive," Draco growled. "There were…failed attempts in almost every holding cell. I wouldn't doubt the second complex is the same and I was unable to tell if they are doing this on other planets."

"So it's a good guess that the Wraith who tried to turn you to mincemeat were the ones doing this…or part of them, anyway." Jamie pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to think.

The potential risk for their operatives to be caught on a target planet in this sector was high enough that she was seriously considering recalling every one of them and leaving for a different part of the galaxy. Starting over would be a bear, but it would be better than loosing everything. Then again, her protective side argued, they couldn't just leave this sector to the Wraith. They had been here since they started and more than one of her people had ties with the villagers. Leaving them to their fate would be cruel and, frankly, unthinkable. It was the struggle of the many versus the few that Jamie hated and made her wish someone else was running things.

"Okay, I'm gonna talk to the others and see what they think we should do. Maybe they know which hive it is and we can take the hive, or cruiser, out with the Colonel and his team. What?" She added, seeing Draco's surprised stare. "Having them on our good side is a lot better than having them watching our every move, right?"

Draco snorted and was about to retort something, but he froze. "Since I'm forbidden to leave here until I'm healed, can you tell Nene I'm not dead?" For once, he looked like a typical adolescent and Jamie was sure he blushed.

Keeping her smile from becoming teasing, Jamie nodded. "Of course. She'd bite _my_ head off if I didn't anyway. In fact, I'll have one of the others in the village bring her up here so the two of you won't do something stupid."

True to his unique, book- and history-loving nature, which was odd for him to begin with, Draco was the first among the five of Jamie's friends to form a bond with one of the villagers. Nene was roughly Draco's age and just as fascinated about history as he was, though she possessed enough of a cool head to snap Draco back to reality if he became distracted, which was quite often and not for the reasons Nene suspected. The girl, a year younger than Jamie, had been terrified of Taurus and the rest for a while because they were so much older and more intimidating than Draco was, but with Jamie's encouragement, she had managed to fit into their circle quite easily. Once everyone, especially Leo, got over the shock, they accepted Nene like a younger sister.

Nene's family hadn't been so supportive, however. When Draco first started helping around the village, they were wary, but didn't mind once they looked at his hand. However, once he started showing interest in Nene, they instantly disapproved of him. It only got worse when they caught Nene looking at Draco the same way he looked at her and they'd politely, but firmly, told him that they didn't need his help anymore. Like all couples, Nene and Draco managed to find a way to see each other away from her family, which was made even easier because she had studied the ruins on the planet more extensively than he had. It was a convenience of work, but they were happy. Nene had just come of age two weeks earlier and had firmly told her parents that if they didn't accept Draco, she'd be moving into the ship with him. Naturally, the family was mortified by that idea and had agreed to give Draco a chance.

Draco seemed to relax and cheer up a little, though he snorted. "Just what I do _not_ need, another nurse, but thank you."

"Oh, I'm sure you can handle it," Jamie replied with a mock swat at his shoulder, refraining from actually touching it in case that was hurt, too. "If you can handle escaping an ambush _and_ Leo's fussing, Nene shouldn't be a problem."

"Don't be too sure of that." Draco countered with raised eyebrows. "I happen to remember you and the rest heading somewhere _else_ the last time she was upset."

Feigning innocence, Jamie frowned. "I don't remember doing that. She was upset about something regarding the ruins and we knew that you were the only one able to understand what she was saying, so…"

Draco made a face. "And yet you didn't even have to consult each other before leaving." There was no ill feeling in his voice, only suppressed amusement. Still, there were shadows behind his eyes and it was clear that he was still thinking about the villages, which only strengthened Jamie's resolve to bring Nene over as soon as possible.

Jamie rested a hand on Draco's uninjured shoulder. "I'm very happy that you're alive and back home," she said quietly. "We all are."

Draco's hand reached up and clasped hers briefly, his eyes speaking more than what he could say.

"Join us when you can," Jamie murmured and strode out of the infirmary, feeling calm and reassured in spite of Draco's discovery.

_It's time we had a security meeting._ The last time she and every one of the commanders had sat down for a high-stakes meeting was just after the explosion that killed several people.

If this wasn't dealt with, thousands of people were going to die.


End file.
